This invention relates to vacuum cleaners. More particularly, it relates to a vacuum cleaner that provides increased suction power while reducing undesirable noise that is generated during operation of the vacuum cleaner.
It is considered desirable to provide vacuum cleaners with strong suction power. However, increasing the suction power of a vacuum cleaner generally results in increasing the level of noise that is generated by the vacuum cleaner during cleaning operations.
Accordingly, it is considered desirable to develop a new and improved vacuum cleaner with strong suction power and noise suppression features that meets the above-stated needs and overcomes the foregoing difficulties and others while providing better and more advantageous results.
One aspect of the present invention relates to a vacuum cleaner motor housing.
More particularly in accordance with this aspect of the invention, the vacuum cleaner motor housing includes an outer wall defining a motor housing cavity with an open end and a closed end; and a motor/fan assembly positioned within the cavity, the motor/fan assembly including a motor having an output shaft, a fan casing secured to the motor and having an inlet aperture, and an impeller rotatably secured to the motor output shaft within the fan casing, wherein the motor is positioned proximate the cavity closed end, the fan casing is positioned proximate the cavity open end, and the motor output shaft extends parallel to a central longitudinal axis of an associated vacuum cleaner upper assembly.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, vacuum cleaner is provided. More particularly, in accordance with this aspect of the invention, the vacuum cleaner includes a separation chamber that facilitates the separation of debris from a suction airstream; an exhaust filter housing including a central suction duct, an exhaust filter, and an exhaust passageway defined between the central suction duct and the exhaust plenum; and a motor housing including a motor/fan assembly positioned therein; wherein an airflow pathway extends i) in a first direction from the separation chamber through the central suction duct and the motor/fan assembly and into the motor housing, ii) in a second direction opposite to the first direction through an annular passageway surrounding the motor/fan assembly and into the exhaust plenum, and iii) in a third direction transverse to the first and second directions through the exhaust filter.
More particularly in accordance with another aspect of the invention, the vacuum cleaner includes a cyclonic airflow chamber that facilitates the separation of contaminants from a suction airstream, the airflow chamber including a chamber inlet and a chamber outlet, the chamber inlet being fluidically connected with at least one of a suction nozzle and an above-the-floor cleaning tool; an exhaust filter housing including a suction duct and an exhaust plenum, the suction duct communicating with the chamber outlet; a suction source housing including an open end communicating with the exhaust plenum and a closed end; and a suction source positioned within the suction source housing to define an annular exhaust flow passageway surrounding the suction source from the housing closed end to the housing open end, the suction source including a suction inlet communicating with the suction duct and an exhaust outlet communicating with the housing closed end.